What a powerful jutsu!
What a promotion to Jōnin!
They were all lies!
How could a group of Genin deserve such treatment from the village leaders!
Even with Naruto present, it was impossible!
Nara Shikamaru knew very well that they would be in trouble soon.
So when Hyūga Neji reacted and looked at him, Shikamaru responded with a bitter smile.
As for the others, their minds were elsewhere entirely.
"Hahaha, I will definitely pass this test. Just wait for me to learn powerful jutsu and become Hokage!"
Uzumaki Naruto put his hands on his hips and shouted proudly.
"Tch!" Inuzuka Kiba, with Akamaru perched on his head, said disdainfully: "I'm definitely the one who will pass the test!"
"Yosh! Let the power of youth burn! To live up to Guy-sensei's expectations, I must pass this test!"
Tenten quickly stepped back, pretending not to know the hot-blooded idiot in front of her who looked ridiculous with his flaming eyes.
Shikamaru covered his forehead helplessly, no longer planning to warn anyone. What else could he say in this situation?
So he could only follow everyone into the training ground and wait.
The sun glared overhead, and everyone had been waiting for a long time. They were growing impatient, but no one appeared.
"What's going on? Do all adults like to be late?"
Uzumaki Naruto jumped and skipped around, searching everywhere, but no one showed up.
"Someone's coming!"
Hyūga Neji, who had activated his Byakugan, was stunned for a moment, then immediately shouted, "It's Shihouin Naraku-sama! But..."
Looking at Shihouin Naraku, who appeared in his field of vision, Hyūga Neji felt something was wrong with his appearance!
"Ah? It's Brother Naraku!"
Uzumaki Naruto immediately became excited, and Uchiha Sasuke beside him also perked up.
Rock Lee and Tenten even stood at attention, nervously waiting for Shihouin Naraku to arrive.
The others stopped their chatter and looked at him curiously, not knowing who he was.
Only Shikamaru seemed to have vaguely heard the name Shihouin Naraku from his father, Nara Shikaku, but he was also confused.
...
Shihouin Naraku looked up at the training ground in the distance, where the Konoha 12 were waiting for him.
Shaking his head slightly, Shihouin Naraku took a step forward, then descended!
"BOOM—"
Suddenly, a muffled thunder exploded in the clear sky!
Shihouin Naraku's eyes suddenly widened, and an extremely violent aura instantly erupted from his body. The presence of a king that dominated the world rose up and spread outward wildly.
Strong winds swept in dark clouds, blocking the sun that had been radiating heat, and the world suddenly darkened.
The hurricane grew more violent, gathering dark clouds, following Shihouin Naraku closely and enveloping him in a pitch-black cloak that obscured the sun.
With a whoosh, flames shot up into the sky and illuminated the darkness, beautiful sparks flickering on the black cloak.
Shihouin Naraku exuded an aura of authority without anger, directing his Haoshoku Haki like a surging ocean.
"BOOM—"
"What—what's happening?"
The Konoha 12 all showed panic when they saw Shihouin Naraku approaching step by step.
The terrifying aura was like physical pressure, continuously bearing down on everyone, and soon, some fell to the ground unconscious.
Shihouin Naraku approached slowly, his footsteps sounding like war drums. His eyes were cold and sharp; anyone seeing him for the first time would feel a piercing chill.
"Where's the fun in that!"
"How amusing!"
"Tell me what you think you're doing!"
"What do you think being a shinobi means?!"
"Answer me! What do you think being a shinobi means?!"
"Stand there! Answer me!!!"
Shihouin Naraku's steps never faltered. His pupils flashed with unwavering resolve, and he lashed everyone with each word!
Everyone looked at Shihouin Naraku in horror. They seemed to see a bloody and cruel battlefield behind him—a battlefield filled with smoke, corpses lying everywhere, the ground soaked with blood, and countless shinobi killed and wounded.
Haoshoku Haki released terrifying pressure mercilessly, and the shocking force crushed everyone's mind.
"Thud, thud, thud..."
The Genin in the training ground fell one after another. Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Neji, and Rock Lee gritted their teeth, their eyes bloodshot, unable to move at all. Their earlier happy and excited expressions were gone!
"Crack!"
A silver lightning bolt flashed through the dark clouds in the sky, illuminating the darkened world!
The overwhelming pressure intensified, and the trees surrounding the training ground bent, and some even crashed to the ground.
The earth-shaking hurricane overturned everything. Gravel and wood chips were swept up, then smashed back into the ground, creating dents!
"This..."
"How did Naraku involve us in this?"
"What kind of outrageous ability is this? How could his aura alone create such a terrifying scene?"
Several Jōnin, led by Hatake Kakashi, stood in the woods with difficulty, trying to resist Shihouin Naraku's terrifying pressure!
...
"I, I... how can I fall?!"
Uchiha Sasuke used all his strength to resist the Haoshoku Haki. Unconsciously, his eyes turned scarlet, and a single tomoe spun in each!
"This is such a simple test; I will not back down, nor will I be afraid! For the sake of youth!"
Rock Lee roared loudly, raised his bandaged arms, and clenched his fists tightly.
"It is fate! How can I resist such a powerful force? Perhaps the bird of freedom never existed!"
Hyūga Neji staggered under the overwhelming pressure, and the next second he fell to the ground with a thud, losing consciousness.
"I won't give up! Keeping my word is my ninja way! I will definitely become Hokage! Everyone will acknowledge me!"
Uzumaki Naruto's eyes widened, and he even tried to move forward against the crushing Haoshoku Haki, but he was pushed back step by step, his body trembling from the immense pressure.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
The last three standing all lost consciousness and collapsed on the training ground.
Shihouin Naraku had already reached the training ground and slowly retracted his violent Haoshoku Haki. The surroundings gradually returned to calm.
The hurricane that swept across the sky quickly dissipated, the dark clouds quietly retreated, and the terrifying pressure that had bent the surrounding trees also vanished.
Several Jōnin in the nearby woods finally breathed sighs of relief. If this had continued, they wouldn't have been able to bear it.
The tangible pressure was so terrifying and unbearable, even mentally oppressive that several Jōnin began to sweat.
Fortunately, Shihouin Naraku had stopped in time, otherwise someone would definitely have been humiliated.
Kurenai Yūhi couldn't help but hold onto a nearby tree, taking a deep breath as she wiped the sweat from her fair forehead. Her strength was the weakest among the Jōnin, and she was the one most affected by the Haoshoku Haki.
Thankfully, Shihouin Naraku's Haoshoku Haki wasn't aimed at them, or it would have been dangerous.
Shihouin Naraku glanced over from the training grounds. In fact, the Jōnin didn't know that the Haoshoku Haki was primarily targeting a few of them.
Otherwise, with their current strength, Uzumaki Naruto and the others would never have lasted so long under Haoshoku Haki—they would have collapsed and fainted long ago.
Haoshoku Haki was not something Genin could resist.
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